JK: Separatist leader Geelani arrested

Published: Friday, April 30, 2010, 18:01 [IST]

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Srinagar, Apr 30: Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was arrested on Friday, Apr 30 as he violated restrictions put on him to lead a protest march against the Delhi court ruling in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast case.

The 80-year-old seperatist leader, who was placed under house arrest, stepped out of his house to lead the march to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) office.

"Geelani was detained and lodged in police station Humhama on the airport road when he tried to come out of his house at Hyderpora to lead a march to UNMOGIP," a police spokesman told a news agency.

Geelani was placed under house arrest since Thursday, Apr 29 as a precautionary measure.

The decision was taken as the authorities suspected that the protest march would turn violent.

Besides this, other prohibitory orders were imposed in the city.

Earlier in the day, a civilian was killed in stone-pelting incident in Batamaloo. The victim identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh was hit when the stone pelters attacked a bus he was traveling in.

He was wounded gravely as he was sitting near the window. The victim succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.

Police believe that the stone pelters were supporters of Geelani.

Responding to the news of the loss of a civilian's life, Chief Minister Omar Adbullah held Geelani solely responsible for it.